Higher Ground
by SuperNatural1985
Summary: Antonio and Nick take Noah and the twins to Europe during the Spell Bound fiasco. If the pack is eradicated can Antonio find the will and the courage to carry on and save the pack? One shot


I own nothing except some original characters I sometimes bring in. Kelley Armstrong owns The Otherworld and all the wonderful information there.

This is a little fic inspired by Spell Bound. Kelley mentioned that Antonio and Nick had taken the boys and the twins to Europe to higher ground in case something happened to the pack so I wanted to suss this out a bit.

*Just a note. The blue song was sung to me throughout my childhood and much like the Robert Munsch story in one of my other oneshots I wanted to portray it here.

Higher Ground

I gazed out over the Italian landscape pondering our predicament. Had I done the right thing? The alpha's orders were to take the younger generation of the pack and get them out of the States, go to higher ground. That left Jeremy, Clay and Elena exposed with only the council for backup as well as Karl who I didn't trust as far as I could throw. Plus Hope was pregnant and due soon so I knew where his thoughts and where his loyalty would be.

I turned back to the hotel room and looked at the twins smiling. Both Kate and Logan were excited to go on an adventure but they still didn't understand why their parents or Jeremy and Jaime weren't coming. It had taken over an hour of convincing but finally they were asleep. Logan had rolled over and was holding his sister and both blonde haired children were snuggled to one side of the bed. Noah laid on the other side of the bed listening to his IPod and clicking on his laptop. We hadn't had time to pack much and his laptop was a birthday present from us so of course it was one of the first things he took.

I glanced to the other side of the room to see Reese and Nick playing poker on a small table, talking in low voices. They didn't like us being away from home and the pack and if the pack. If the pack did need help Reese and Nick would go back to the states while I stayed behind. I would watch over the twins and Noah. In case no other pack members made it we would keep the pack going. Noah, however, felt he was old enough to go and fight but he wasn't. His lack of experience and his F.A.E. had put him behind in his training and he wasn't going into the field until he was ready.

As much as I knew how important protecting the pack was I still wasn't sure this was where we should be. Even if Jeremy ordered it and even if they were after the twins. I wasn't sure if I could step up and be the alpha. If Jeremy was killed along with Clay and Elena I would become the alpha of the pack and would have to train the next successor as soon as possible. I was 63 and even though physically and mentally I was only about 35 I would start to become slower and more venerable over the next few decades. By the time I hit 80 or so I would be slower and not as physically strong so the next alpha needed to be trained.

As I looked out over the boys the obvious choice to me would be Reese. Nick was my son and I loved him dearly but he was not an alpha. Everything in him screamed that beta was the highest he would get too which was fine, he was who he was but the pack needed an alpha. Noah was too young as were the twins of course but Reese would make a good alpha in 10 years or so. He would need to learn to think before he acted and he needed to learn to put the pack first but once he learned to do that he would make a fine alpha. He was a good strategist and he was a good fighter, quick on his feet and decisive. I would rather have him as an enforcer and Noah as an alpha but Noah was not alpha material, not that I had seen yet but maybe he would surprise me.

If I picked an alpha I would not be telling them until half way through the training process, the secret would lie with Nick and myself. I was hoping that when the twins grew up one of them could take over as alpha, probably Logan. He was more like Jeremy than any other person; Kate had a spitfire personality and would make a better enforcer.

I hated thinking these thoughts but the destruction of the pack was a very real possibility and I would make damned sure the pack carried on and became strong again. We did it after Daniel attacked us and we would do it again. I knew I could keep the pack alive and well what I didn't know is if I could do it without Jeremy. Jeremy and I had been together since he was born and I was 2. We had done almost everything with one another, he had consulted me on pack matters for years and he was my best friend. How would I do this without Jeremy and even without Clay and Elena? Could I be a good father to the twins if their parents were gone? Would I raise them the way they would have wanted them to be raised?

I remembered when I had met Clay and Elena. Clay was 7 and to me he seemed like a wild little creature. He could barely talk and refused to go anywhere with me alone. He trusted Jeremy and Jeremy alone for quite some time. Eventually he got used to me and trusted me. I had seen him grow into a fine fighter and loyal pack member since then.

When I first met Elena she was timid and resigned or so she seemed at first. It was a facade and one we played into for a very long time giving her space and spoiling her. Of course we did, what a pack member had done to her was unforgivable but eventually she did forgive and learn to live with us. Eventually she produced the two trouble makers I would give my life to protect.

I finally calmed my thoughts and said goodnight to Nick and Reese. I climbing into bed and reminding Noah not to stay up too late. Nick and Reese took their game and their conversation to the adjoining room and I closed my eyes and thought about the only thing that ever calmed my mind, the love of my life. I still loved her and I always would. Nick's mother was and still is perfect. Thinking about her laugh, he incredible out of the box way of thinking and her exquisitely curved body and milky skin always helped me settle back to earth again after feeling like my mind was flying high above the world.

Hours after I had fallen asleep and was dreaming about Nick's mother as I always did I felt a small hand on my arm. Sleepily I opened my eyes but quickly forced myself into alertness. A pair of big blue eyes looked down on me looking concerned and scared.

"Logan, what's wrong?" I asked immediately. I scooped the little body closer to my body and looked over at the opposite bed. Noah had fallen asleep with his IPod on and his laptop still open. Kate had moved from the other side of the bed and snuggled up to Noah's chest wrapped her arm around his stomach.

"I had a bad dream and I miss mommy and daddy Uncle Tonio," Logan admitted. He pulled himself closer to me and snuggled up to my chest. I wrapped an arm protectively around the small child and pulled the blankets over him so he wouldn't be cold.

"It wasn't real Logan," I assured staring to rub his back in slow circles. My father had done this with me and I had used this same tactic with Nicky and Clay when they had been children. I had even used it on Jeremy once when we were both quite young and he was extremely upset.

"I know but when I have a nightmare Jeremy or mommy makes me hot chocolate and sings to me," he said and I nodded. I had been there when they had done this. Jeremy was not as given to singing as Elena but he would if the children wanted him to.

"Ok, well we don't have any hot chocolate here but I'll sing a song for you. We need to be quiet so we don't wake up Kate or Noah though," I told him. He nodded against my chest but didn't say a word as I searched my mind for a soothing song.

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine," I began singing. I looked down and noticed his face light up in a huge grin. He loved this song. His mother sang it to him practically every night.

"You make me happy when skies are grey. You never know dear how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away," I sang lowly. He looked up at me and grinned showing a full set of white baby teeth.

"Sing the blue song," he asked now. I smiled and kept rubbing his back in circular motions before beginning.

"I love you Logan, oh yes I do. There's no one sweeter than you. When I'm not with you I'm blue. Oh, Logan I love you," I whispered. He giggled and then yawned burying his head into my chest and closing his eyes. I continued to rub his back until his breathing became slowly and I knew he had drifted off.

Yes, I think I could do this if I needed too.


End file.
